Morphological Transformation in Vitro of Normal Human Fibroblasts by Chrysotile

Pathologic response of tissue to asbestos in vivo gives rise to fibromatoma, granuloma and mesothelioma. We are attempting to develop a model system in vitro using human cells in order to investigate the possible mechanisms responsible for these pathologies. Within the first 12 hr of exposure to chr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental health perspectives 1983-09, Vol.51, p.17-22
Main Authors: Joseph, L. B., Stephens, R. E., Ottolenghi, A. C., Lipetz, P. D., Newman, H. A. I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asbestos
Asbestos - toxicity
Asbestos, Serpentine
Cell culture techniques
Cell growth
Cell membranes
Cell nucleolus
Cell Nucleolus - drug effects
Cell Nucleolus - ultrastructure
Cell nucleus
Cell Nucleus - drug effects
Cell Nucleus - ultrastructure
Cells, Cultured
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm - drug effects
Cytoplasmic Granules - drug effects
Cytoplasmic Granules - ultrastructure
Fibroblasts
Fibroblasts - drug effects
Fibroblasts - ultrastructure
Giant cells
Humans
Pathology
The Second International Workshop on in Vitro Effects of Mineral Dusts. April 25-28, 1982. Arkadelphia, Arkansas
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Summary:Pathologic response of tissue to asbestos in vivo gives rise to fibromatoma, granuloma and mesothelioma. We are attempting to develop a model system in vitro using human cells in order to investigate the possible mechanisms responsible for these pathologies. Within the first 12 hr of exposure to chrysotile, the fibroblasts showed distinctive morphological changes. Cells appeared elongated with occasional vacuolated nuclei and granular cytoplasm. Cells showed no other obvious morphological changes by light microscopy and were serially passaged at confluence. The cells with vacuolated nuclei were successfully serially passaged. Binucleated cells were first observed 48 hr after passaging. As time in culture increased (3 days to 2 weeks) many cells lost their distinctive bipolar properties and developed "stress striations" and multiple vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Multinucleated giant cells (2-11 nuclei/cell) with lobate nucleoli became more numerous. With increasing passages, the confluent cell density decreased and cell size increased. Cells usually had condensed nucleoli and had lost all control of directional growth. Preliminary indications suggest that these in vitro morphological transformations are due-at least in part-to a lack of control over cytokinesis.
ISSN:0091-6765
1552-9924
DOI:10.1289/ehp.835117